Orders
by ambiencealikw
Summary: It's just a mission.
1. Chapter 1

He was under very direct orders. **Do not** give in under any circumstances or the consequences would be dire. Knowing Tsunade, giving in would be worth his life. She was incredibly protective of her young apprentice. Despite the imminent threat of bodily harm, this mission was the most difficult he had ever been given.

Said apprentice swayed slowly on the dance floor, moving slowly and seductively. She was faced away from him, dancing to the music that filled his ears, the bass so loud it sent tremors through his feet where the rested on the ground. All he could smell was sweat and perfume as young bodies gyrated to the beat. Sakura turned, looking bashfully over her shoulder at him. Her glance seared through him, and he swallowed, trying to find where all his manly ninja resolve had gone.

Sakura was eighteen now, eligible for the special kunoichi training that made female ninjas so deadly. He was the safe target of her attentions, a trusted older male that she could practice her skills on, someone who would not go through with where her seductions would ultimately lead. Unfortunately for him, the soft spot he had for his young student had matured into something far beyond his control. Only his orders from Tsunade, the Hokage of Konoha, kept him from grabbing Sakura and dragging her somewhere a little more private.

Somehow, his little pink haired vixen had ensnared him completely. He was in serious trouble. He wanted nothing more than to run his hands over her smooth pale skin, over that perky ass that swayed and wiggled in her little black skirt, to pull off what little clothes she was wearing and taste the beads of sweat he could see on her skin.

'Kami,' he muttered as she twirled sensuously to face him. His lone eye tracked a bead of sweat from her sweet neck down into her cleavage. As her green eyes smouldered at him, Kakashi wondered if he was allowed to run away screaming. It would probably ruin his reputation, but it would be a hell of a lot safer.

She was walking towards him now, slowly, exaggerating the movement of her hips so that they rolled in the most fascinating way. How did his cute little student turn into this beautiful seductress? She still looked quite similar, had even grown her hair fairly long again, it was the new curves that threw him. Her low cut sequined top was showing enough creamy white skin to make his head spin. Or maybe that was the three bottles of sake.

_Yeah, probably the sake._

'Like what you see, Ka-ka-shi?' Sakura said in a low purr, enunciating each syllable of his name. He didn't respond, too busy trying to avoid the cleavage so tantalisingly close to his hands. This didn't deter her, however. She only moved even closer, slinging her arms around his neck and pressing her small, rounded breasts against his chest.

He looked up at the ceiling and signed deeply, wondering what he had ever done to deserve this mission. An action he immediately regretted when Sakura took the opportunity to press her lips against his rapidly beating pulse.

'Sakura, stop that,' he said, a slight pleading tone entering his voice. She pulled away, looking at him with a soft, alluring smile.

'Sorry, I couldn't help it.' Sakura lowered her eyes, her delicate pink eyelashes dusting her blushing cheeks. It was far too adorable for him to stand.

Kakashi jerked away, turning around to face the bar. Sakura moved her arms around his waist and cuddled up to his back. He signalled the bartender for another bottle of sake. Probably a bad idea but the sooner he got her smashed, the sooner he could take her home, deposit her on her doorstep, and then run like hell.

Five bottles later, his wallet was empty and Sakura was draped in his lap. They sat in a corner booth now, away from the loud music in a more secluded area of the bar. Sakura had her cheek pressed to his chest, and his chin was propped up on the top of her head. The smell of her perfume was now intimately familiar to him, like the sweet cherry blossoms she was named for, and he knew that he would never be able to smell this scent again without remembering this night.

Sakura sighed and shifted her ass, brushing up against his groin. It sent a bolt of electricity through him and made him grit his teeth, praying for some self-control.

'Are you uncomfortable?' He asked her. She shook her head, even as she shifted her ass once more. The mischievous glint to her eyes told him exactly what she was trying to do.

'Kaka-senseiiiii,' she whispered into his ear. 'I want you to take me to bed.'

Kakashi whimpered as she pressed a hand against his chest, flexing it against his muscles.

He grabbed her hand and hoisted her over his shoulder and tried not to think about taking her up on her offer. It was taking most of his self-control just to stave off an erection, let alone anything else. Either way, it was definitely time to call it a night.

Sakura was strangely silent on the walk back to her apartment. It was worrying, but he was a little distracted by the feel of her long, smooth legs under his hand and the way her skirt was riding up. He tugged it down a little as they passed a few rowdy ninja that found the sight a bit too interesting for his liking. He was more than a little protective of his kunoichi as well.

_His? Hmmm, not a good sign._

When they reached her porch, Kakashi set Sakura on the ground. She was still quiet, merely looking up at him with wide, green eyes. Immediately her young, innocent gaze caught him. As he studied her, he noticed how steady she was. She must have spent the walk home metabolising the alcohol in her system.

_What is she playing at?_

'Kakashi, do you want me?' She asked him sincerely. It caught him off guard, and he warily took a step back from her. It was easier to take her seduction techniques, because at least that was a game. This young girl looking up at him in the moonlight with wide, green eyes was his cute little team mate. Surprisingly, that affected him even more.

It reminded him of when he had first started to feel something for her. She had convinced team seven that they should take a day off from training and enjoy a picnic with her. They'd sat around in their training ground eating sandwiches and laughing. He had felt light and carefree as he watched her create a daisy chain from the myriad of flowers that surrounded them.

She had solemnly placed one on his head, tilting it sideways so that it rested over his Konoha headband. The light perfume of the flowers relaxed him, and he looked at her kneeling over him with a rare genuine smile.

What had struck him the most then was her natural beauty. Unlike tonight, she hadn't been wearing make-up or tight, revealing clothes. She had been fresh faced in a simple white sundress, and cute little brown boots. Her sole adornment was a daisy chain, along with her compelling smile, a smile that brightened his world. Kakashi's heart had raced when he had finally realised how precious she was to him. Somehow, his naïve student had blossomed into a beautiful woman, and had found a place in his heart.

He looked at her now, and despite the make-up and revealing clothes, he still saw her in that white dress, happy and smiling up at him. He smiled at her now, reaching one hand up to rest on her cheek. She blushed a delicate pink and returned his smile with her own. It was more powerful than anything she had done all night. He knew that his mission was in jeopardy. He would do anything to keep that smile on him.

_Anything._

Sakura pressed her hand against his and stepped towards him, closing the distance he had made between them. She shivered a little as their bodies made contact and some of his body heat seeped into her chest. Every part of her tingled as she looked into his eyes and saw that he did indeed want her.

She thought back to her meeting with Tsunade earlier in the week. Sakura had been venting her frustration on not seeing her team mates recently. Naruto and Sasuke were both off on very long missions and Kakashi had been avoiding her for some reason.

Of course, Tsunade had immediately picked up on her real feelings on this matter.

'Ah, Sakura! To be young and in love,' Tsunade said wryly, enjoying the blush that covered the cheeks of her young apprentice.

'What?' Sakura spluttered, her face darker than the pink hair that fell past her shoulders. 'I don't – what? – You can't possibly – Kakashi? – What? – No way!'

Tsunade laughed, swirling her sake in her glass. She had hoped that Sakura would fall for her old sensei. They would make the cutest babies.

'Well, you're in luck, young Sakura,' Tsunade chuckled evilly. 'I have just the mission to bring you two closer.'

'Eh? What mission?'

The pink kunoichi narrowed her eyes at her mentor. Lately Tsunade had been making a lot of casual conversation about babies. Why did she have the feeling that all of those hints had been leading to this? Was Tsunade trying to set her up with Kakashi? She must be, otherwise why else would she be saying such things?

_Well, I guess I wouldn't mind. He is sort of sexy._

'It's a seduction mission. You're about that age now, so it'll be believable to Kakashi. We'll be telling him that you're to practice your seduction skills on a safer older male and he's it. That way you can feel free to ooze that womanly charm without any fear of rejection or ridicule,' Tsunade explained.

'He'll never give in to Sakura if he thinks it's a mission!' Shizune interrupted from her place near the window. Sakura's green eyes widened.

'Shizune! Don't be ridiculous! Have faith in Sakura. I promise she's up to the challenge,' Tsunade barked at her assistant.

The brunette scowled and looked away, and the Hokage dismissed a pale Sakura from the room.

Now, looking up at Kakashi in the moonlight, it suddenly felt wrong to have approached him this way. It was a lie, and it wasn't fair. No doubt Tsunade would have threatened him with something if he gave in. It occurred to her then that all of this heat between them right now was probably fake. Kakashi had been in Anbu, he was a top rate ninja. He was probably very skilled at acting. He was probably reacting to her seduction skills in such a way to show her which of her techniques worked and which didn't.

Really, there was no way to tell if there was anything real between them.

Sakura frowned and pulled away, instantly feeling the cold seep into her bones. She looked down at the ground and sighed.

'Thank you, Kakashi. I hope this doesn't change anything between us,' she said in a small voice. She gave him a half-hearted smile and he nodded in return.

_See? He doesn't really care._

'Good night,' she whispered, and then she turned and went into her apartment, shutting the door behind her with a firm click. She leant against it, allowing it to prop her up. Tears welled in her eyes and rolled silently down her cheeks, dripping onto the floor at her feet.

At that same moment, Shizune was starting to doubt the mission given to Sakura and Kakashi.

'Is it cruel, do you think?' Shizune asked from where she was standing near the window. It was dark outside now, a beautiful bright moon illuminating the village. The view showed her all of Konoha laid out before her, but that sight did nothing to stem her worry.

'Eh?' Tsunade responded. The Hokage didn't even look up at Shizune, too busy stamping papers, piles of which covered her desk. She wanted to get them done so that she could finally get her sake back from the brunette.

'Kakashi, I mean. That mission. It must be tearing him up inside knowing that responding to Sakura's advances would lead to such terrible consequences.' She bit her lip.

'Heh, that just makes it fun. It's more for Sakura's benefit anyway,' the blonde chuckled.

'Sakura's benefit?'

'Couldn't have him being an easy target for her, could I? That brat has been making eyes at her for years now, she just never noticed.'

'Oh, so you already knew that he liked her?' Shizune questioned, scowling at her friend. She had known, as had all of Kakashi's friends. Wherever Sakura went, his eyes followed. He was obviously a man in love, but was determined to keep it from her.

_Poor Kakashi, he thinks he's too damaged, too old and set in his ways for such a young, lively girl. Pity, seeing as how she's perfect for him._

'Of course I knew, I'm the Hokage! I know everything! Why do you think I gave Sakura this mission?' Tsunade bragged. She leaned back in her chair, feeling superior. She was a great matchmaker.

'They'll be making me grandbabies within the month, I guarantee it!'

'Tsunade-sama!' Shizune scolded. 'You shouldn't play with their hearts like this. It is cruel, no matter what you say!

The blonde woman frowned, pushing her papers aside with a sigh.

'Sometimes they need a kick in the behind to get them on the right path,' she said quietly.

Tsunade stood, moving over next to Shizune where she looked to the Hokage monument. It always reminded her of her loved ones, her lover and her brother, who had both dreamed of being Hokage. She had lost both of them far too early in her life. Was it wrong to want her apprentice to find happiness?

'Before it's too late.'

A/N: A rough idea of Sakura's outfits

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	2. Chapter 2

Shock kept him immobile as her words echoed through his head.

_I hope this doesn't change anything between us._

A whirling maelstrom of emotions flooded him and he felt suddenly very ill. Confusion, hurt, sadness, despair, anger; they all spiralled inside of him. And still he stood there, staring at her door.

He'd thought he could read her like a book; Sakura had always worn her heart on her sleeve. There had been interest in her eyes as she tried to seduce him. It had been a mission for him, but his mission was just to not give in. His feelings, his actions had been real.

_Had hers?_

Had he really known her as well as he thought? Perhaps she was far more conniving than he had given her credit for. Perhaps his innocent Sakura was no more.

He had never thought Sakura capable of such duplicity. Evidently she was well and truly prepared for seduction missions.

_Tsunade will be pleased_, he thought sardonically.

He turned from the door, and suddenly felt the weight of his years settle on his shoulders. He felt old, and tired, and so very, very alone. Nearly every person he had cared about had died, had slipped through his fingers and turned to ash. How ironic that the more painful blow was one of the people he had dared to let in had betrayed him.

_How had it come to this?_

He did admit, falling for his student, 14 years his junior, was a bad move. He hadn't ever planned on doing anything about it. Sweet little Sakura, in love with Sasuke, was far too good and pure for a perverted old man like him.

Yet, he had hoped. Beyond all reason, he had hoped.

Kakashi took up drinking, and days and missions began to blur together. It didn't really stop him from thinking about Sakura, but it took the edge off the pain. That was something, at least.

It didn't take her long to realise that he was avoiding her.

Currently he was hiding in the forest surrounding Konoha, pretending to read Jiraiya-sama's latest book while actually tracking her chakra signature around the village as she presumably searched for him.

She was getting pretty persistent. The places she was checking told him that she probably had help from a few of his friends.

_Speaking of friends._

'Yo,' Kakashi said lazily, keeping his eye trained on the page before him.

Genma stood at the base of the tree, looking up at him.

'You look like shit, Kashi,' Genma returned cheerfully. 'Pinky sure did a number on you, huh?'

Kakashi ignored this.

_I hope this doesn't change anything between us. Too bad Sakura, it changed everything._

'You know she's looking for you?' Genma asked, unperturbed.

'Obviously,' Kakashi said, indicating with a flick of his hand his current obscure hiding place in the middle of the forest that surrounded Konoha.

'It won't be too long til she finds you. She asked Tsunade to give her extra training in sensing chakra,' Genma informed him, amusement dancing in his brown eyes. Kakashi scowled.

_Persistent little kunoichi. Why won't she let it go?_

_It was just a mission._

_Wasn't it? _

'It doesn't matter, really. She hasn't learnt my chakra signature yet,' Kakashi said dismissively, his eyes trained on the book in his hands.

'No, not yours,' Genma said, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, 'but did I mention that I've been playing hide and seek with Sakura all day? For her training, of course.'

Kakashi swore, jumping high into the air as the tree he had been perched in so comfortably was hit with a powerful force, crashing to the ground. Looking down, he groaned inwardly as he saw Sakura standing beside Genma. They both watched him as he gracefully landed on a new branch.

'Found you, Kakashi,' Sakura said, her voice light, as if this was another one of the games they played during training.

This was a game, but one of a completely different sort. It was far more adult, far more serious. Yet her green eyes held none of the lightness of her voice, they were steady and piercing. Perhaps she appreciated the levity of this more than he had thought.

Standing next to Genma, her gloved fists clenched at her sides, her cropped pink hair waving slightly in the wind, her mouth set in a grim expression, she looked so grown up, like she could hold her own against the world.

Despite himself, his heart fluttered a little. It didn't feel so forbidden, to love a strong, beautiful young woman, a kunoichi in her own right.

This thought took him down the wrong road, and he remembered the sinking feeling in his stomach as her door shut in his face. He steeled himself, set his shoulders, and jumped down to the ground.

'Sakura,' he said, his voice guarded.

She smiled at him, her fake smile for smoothing over awkward situations, and he sighed inwardly. He was getting too old for this give and take between a man and woman. Things had been simpler when he was younger.

'You've been avoiding me,' she said mildly.

He nodded, seeing little point in denying it. Genma looked at him with a wry smile, saluted him and then disappeared, presumably back to Konoha. Now there were alone.

She dropped the smile, and now he could see the vulnerability seeping back into her body.

'Why?' She asked, her eyes now avoiding his, looking everywhere but his face.

Kakashi sighed deeply.

'It was a mission, Sakura. I was someone for you to practice on, that's all it was.'

'That's all?' Sakura asked, a little bravely.

'All it was allowed to be. I was not allowed to give in,' he explained, shifting uncomfortably as he remembered all of the threats that Tsunade had made against his career, his life, and his manhood.

Sakura considered his answer carefully, her gaze once again meeting his steadily. Slowly, she took a step forward, and then another. They were only a pace apart. Suddenly the air between them was electric, and Kakashi swallowed, his mouth running dry.

'Did you want to?' She spoke in a low, inviting voice, and again Kakashi was starkly reminded of how much she had grown up. Not so long ago, Sakura would have fled at his first response, if she had even searched for him this long. She had become determined and confident. It was alluring in the extreme.

Still, did he answer her, and tell her the truth? It was risky. Even if she wanted him, that was not a guarantee that she would stand against her master's wrath for him. She might be the second Tsunade, but even Sakura bowed to the Hokage's wishes.

He wanted her, wanted to give in, but there was so much to lose. Yet, as he looked at her and saw the woman she had become, he felt his heart fill with longing. Longing for unrequited love finally returned, longing for a lover and a friend to stand by him through the hardships that come with being a trained assassin, longing for the marriage and children that might one day come from this, though that was far in the future if it even was a possibility. Longing for the light and love that had long been denied him.

'Yes,' he finally answered, setting his shoulders. He was a man, and he would fight to be with the woman he loved, even against the scariest woman he had ever met.

She nodded, again considering him carefully, weighing up the pros and cons in her mind as he just had. Her eyes held a faraway look, and he studied them while she thought. What would he do if she walked away from him now, if she decided he wasn't worth it? He wouldn't be surprised really, he was an old man, and a fool to boot, always surrounded by the ghosts of his fallen team mates.

Sakura turned and began to walk away, and his heart sunk down to his ninja issued sandals. Apparently, she had made up her mind. Still, he would seek answers for this dismissal. Having come so close to having her, he found he was not quite ready to give up this dream.

Kakashi fell into step beside her, keeping her brisk easily. He had put his book away, and did not bother pulling it out again. Somehow, he knew that Sakura would appreciate his full attention right now.

'Where are you going?' He asked, mildly frustrated that he could no longer read his young apprentice so well. She had learnt to hide her surface thoughts, so that they did not appear on her face for all to decipher. It was a good thing for a young, pretty kunoichi like her, but it made her far more unpredictable, something he has not used to seeing from her.

'I'm going to buy twenty cats and become an old spinster who waves a stick at the kids on her lawn,' Sakura told him, quite seriously.

'Cats?' He asked, the disgust evident in his tone. Didn't Sakura know how inferior cats were to dogs? Did she not realise how weird and smelly and rubbish cats were, and twenty of them? Unthinkable. Kakashi scowled, and Sakura began laughing immediately.

'Really?' She asked when she had calmed down a little. 'What you objected to in that scenario was the fact that I chose having cats over having dogs?'

He considered this, and felt foolish when he realised she had just been teasing him. Kakashi cleared his throat, glad she could not see his blush.

'Right, well, where are you really going?' Kakashi prodded her for information.

'I'm going to talk to Tsunade,' Sakura said, and now there was a wicked twinkle in her eye.

He didn't respond; too busy trying to imagine how this conversation would go. Every scenario played out in his mind, many of them ending with his rather painful and messy death.

Sakura turned away from Kakashi, seeing that he was lost in thought and frowning deeply. She felt wary around him, for all her bravado in hunting him down. It had only taken her a few days to realise that his avoidance was something more than Kakashi just being busy.

Somehow, she had hurt the copy ninja that night. Sakura had realised that perhaps he had not been pretending at all, and his actions had been just as genuine as her own had been.

_I hope this doesn't change anything between us._

How could she have said that? It had made what had been growing between them seem cheap and fake, as if it really had been a mission, as if she was truly capable of detaching her emotions from something so intimate.

She was determined to make this right, to get Tsunade to release Kakashi from the mission so that they could try again, both knowing that this time it would be real.

As she reached the door to her mentor's office, Sakura paused and looked at Kakashi, her eyes searching his. Not that long ago she never would have considered having a relationship with this man, but something about the way he had treated her on that date had sparked her interest. Perhaps nothing would come from this, but she felt like they deserved the right to at least give it a try.

Still, she was nervous about facing Tsunade. Despite her urgings for grandbabies, Sakura could tell that Tsunade was determined that Kakashi would not have an easy road, in life and in love.

Sakura took a long, steadying breath and, gathering all of her courage, raised her hand and knocked twice on the Hokage's door. Almost immediately it was opened by Shizune and they were ushered in.

Tsunade studied the two of them carefully as they came to stand before her desk. Kakashi looked miserable and utterly pitiful, in a way that only a man could look. She knew that he had been avoiding Sakura for well over a week now, and that most likely he had been grappling with his attraction to the young kunoichi. There was no one more determined for Sakura to be young and happy than her old sensei, and also no one more determined that he was not the one to make her so.

He didn't seem to realise that he had little choice in the matter. At least one thing had gone right, Tsunade thought, her eyes sliding to her apprentice. Sakura had a determined set to her jaw, and her green eyes held a passionate fire. She had chosen Kakashi, and Tsunade doubted the old ninja would ever be free from her now.

_Not that he would want to_, Tsunade smirked. Poor thing was smitten. For a man who covered all but a sliver of his face, Kakashi was remarkably expressive. You only had to know him for a few years to be able to read his every thought from that one droopy eye.

'Well?' She barked, sullen now that he fun had been spoilt. Shizune had been adamant that this mission would end as soon as the two of them approached her. Silly woman had a soft heart, and hated to see anyone suffer, even brats like Kakashi.

'Tsunade-sama,' Sakura said respectfully, 'I would like you to withdraw Kakashi from his mission.'

Tsunade frowned and waited, to see if her apprentice would elaborate further. She didn't, and Tsunade felt a flame of respect light up in her chest for Sakura. It took a lot of guts for her to approach her mentor in such a way.

She let the silence drag on, enjoying the tension that built in the room. After a few minutes, Tsunade looked straight at Kakashi, her eyes burning into his. He paled, and Tsunade, now satisfied, burst out laughing.

'Granted,' she chuckled, and waved them out of her office.

_The look on his face!_


	3. Chapter 3

They had been kicked out of Tsunade's office immediately after her pronouncement, and Sakura slumped against the wall in relief. After giving herself a few moments to breathe in and out to slow down her racing heart, Sakura pulled herself together and turned to face Kakashi.

She considered the best way to approach this. Sure, she was interested in him, and he seemed to like her enough to have sulked all week and then face down the Hokage, but Sakura wondered at his motives. The night she had approached him for her seduction training had been the first time he'd seen her in a few months.

The war had been over for almost two years now, and things had settled down quite well in the ninja villages. They had spent a lot of time rebuilding and grieving for loved ones, but now there was only peace.

During that time, Sakura had been busy working at the hospital and at the Hokage's tower. She rarely ever went on missions with Team Seven anymore, and if it weren't for their sporadic training sessions and lunches, she wouldn't have seen Kakashi at all since the war's end. With her immense workload and increasing responsibility, Sakura was not afraid to admit that she had spared her former sensei very little thought.

This was why this new perception of him had come from nowhere. Tsunade had been the one to suggest the mission, and Kakashi, and while her mentor definitely had ulterior motives, Sakura could understand why Tsunade would think that she and Kakashi were well suited.

Now that she was older and not his student, she could appreciate him as a man. Though she had never seen his face, Sakura knew that Kakashi was very attractive. Like all people he had his faults, he was always late, he enjoyed reading porn though he got embarrassed if you tried to discuss it with him, he avoided the hospital like the plague and when Sasuke had abandoned the village and Naruto had left to get stronger, he had turned his back on her without a second thought.

On the other hand, once you gained his loyalty you had it forever, he had always listened to her when she was upset, he respected her talents as a shinobi and a medic, and though he had left, she had known that if she just sought him out and asked for his help, he would have done it without question.

Beyond that, Kakashi was one of the strongest ninja in Konoha, and she had always felt a little thrill from being counted one of his precious people. That she had apparently risen in his esteem at some point both surprised and delighted her. He wasn't really known for opening up to people, and for him to have all but stated that he liked her was unprecedented.

Still, she wondered when it had started. She doubted that her seduction skills were really that effective. There had to have some feelings there beforehand for him to have reacted the way he did towards her that night and then today.

Sakura walked up to Kakashi, looking him in the eye as she took his hand. She smiled at him, squeezed his hand gently and then tugged him away from the door.

'Let's go,' she said, and he nodded and followed her from the Hokage tower.

They stood out in the street, hand in hand, and Sakura realised she had no idea what to do. She had never been in a real relationship before, if this even counted, and her flirtation with Kakashi the week before had been fuelled by alcohol and sexy clothes borrowed from Ino.

_How the hell did anyone ever get together?_

Kakashi noticed that Sakura had started to hyperventilate and realised that all of her bravery had worn off. It was probably up to him to make the next move, and he felt incredibly nervous. She had just done a very brave thing in confronting Tsunade on his behalf, while he had cowered and prayed for his manhood to come through the meeting intact.

He took a deep breath, looked at Sakura and then inclined his head to the left. Following his cue, Sakura walked beside him down the road. Her hand was small in his, and he focused on the warmth of her fingers pressed to his. It was reassuring somehow.

They walked together to their old training ground and stood side by side as they looked out over it.

He thought back to when he had first met her. She had been so small, and yet she had been a strange mix of contradictions; determined kunoichi and hopeless romantic, insecure and shy and yet compassionate and loyal, soft and weak in some ways and intelligent and strong in others. Kakashi had despaired of her pining over Sasuke but even that weakness she had turned into strength. Sakura had always been a conundrum.

'What were you like when you were eighteen?' Sakura asked suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

Kakashi was surprised at her question, and yet he frowned and considered it quite seriously. At eighteen he had already lost all of the people closest to him; both of his parents, Obito and then Rin and then finally Minato and Kushina on the same night. He had joined the anbu corps because he couldn't bear being placed on another team, and he had thrown himself into the solo missions with a vengeance, quickly building a name for himself. It had been a very dark chapter of his life.

'Angry,' he supplied.

Sakura's eyebrows rose as she tried to picture him as an angry eighteen year old boy and found she couldn't. Kakashi could certainly be fierce sometimes, but he was so laid back and lazy. She waited to see if he would say anything else, but the silence only stretched on.

'What would that Kakashi have thought of me?' She said, her green eyes searching his face.

Kakashi's face went completely blank and his shoulders tensed, and her curiousity was immediately spiked. She ensured that her grip was quite firm on his hand so that he could not escape, and waited to see if he would reply to her.

'I probably would have been a massive jerk to you,' he sighed.

'Why is that?' She pressed.

'You're sexy when you're angry,' he muttered, 'I would have enjoyed getting you riled up.'

Sakura wasn't sure if she should be flattered or insulted. Still, it was an interesting response, and more than she had expected.

'So, you would have been interested in me back then as well? If we were the same age?' She asked, a thoughtful tone to her voice.

She didn't think he would answer. Kakashi seemed uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation. She was studying him closely, and the tense set of his jaw and the uncertainty flickering in his only visible eye were telling.

The difference in their ages was obviously something that bothered him. She didn't see it as much of an issue when she considered the other boys in her age group. Naruto was part of her family, an annoying little brother. Lee was far too exuberant and over the top. Sai was an emotionless asshole. Chouji, Kiba and Shino were her classmates but she had never really gotten to know them that well. Neji and Shikamaru were both spoken for. And Sasuke, well, that would never have worked out.

Still, it was quite heartening to know that he would have liked her even then. It made her feel more confident in his feelings. They were obviously quite deep.

'I don't think I would have liked you,' she said boldly. This seemed to startle him, and he stared at her in shock. She smiled mischievously and then relented.

'I like you how you are now.'

Kakashi's posture softened as her words soothed him. He still felt unsure and more than a bit ridiculous but somehow Sakura knew what to say to make it all better. She was blushing a little bit, and he knew that saying such a thing would have been very embarrassing for her. He admired her for her honesty.

He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed his in return, and his heart was fuller than it had ever been before.

A quick glance around told her that they were alone. She didn't think that he would make the first move and so she released his hand and moved to stand in front of him.

Sakura looked up at Kakashi and felt a shiver go up her spine from the predatory way he was looking at her. No one had ever looked at her the way Kakashi did, like she was equal parts terrifying and enticing. In just over a week, her perception of him had changed so drastically by the simple act of treating her like a beautiful woman.

In his eyes, she could believe that she was desirable. She wanted to follow this newfound feeling of her feminine power and see what the two of them could achieve together.

As she stepped closer, pressing her body against his, anticipation and affection filled her. Her eyes drifted up to his mask covered face and then meet his heated glance.

Kakashi's hands came up to his face and he slowly pulled down the mask that had covered his face from her for so many years. Sakura's eyes widened as she drank him in.

_So handsome._

A moment later his lips pressed gently against hers. Sakura sighed happily into his mouth, revelling in the feel of his lips like silk against her own, firm and soft.

Kakashi pulled away and looked down at her, wanting to reassure himself that she was real and that she wanted this.

_Please let her want this._

Sakura smiled and wound her arms around his neck, pulling him back down to her. This time he coaxed her lips open, stroking her tongue with his, stoking the fire that had flared between them.

She moaned softly into his mouth, enjoying his ministrations. Kakashi nipped her bottom lip playfully and put his hands on her hips, melding her body against his. Sakura responds by kissing him with even more fervour, slanting her lips against his and licking the roof of his mouth. There is a wicked look in her eyes now, demanding his complete attention.

He hoists her into his arms and she wraps her legs around him. Sakura holds onto him tightly as he performs the transportation jutsu.

They fall onto his bed, him pressing her into the mattress with his hips and one hand on either side of her head. He watches her eyes flutter close and her mouth open into a long moan as he slowly grinds against her.

'Are you sure you want this?' He asks her desperately as she arches into him. She opens her eyes and moves her hands into his hair, gently rubbing his scalp in little maddening circles that made him want to melt into a pile of goo.

'I think the question is whether or not you want this, Kakashi,' she says quietly. The gentle movements stop and her hands grip into his hair much harder now, reminding him of her strength. 'If you decide afterwards that this wasn't what you wanted after all and avoid me because of it, I will hunt you down just like I did today.'

There is steel in her tone, and she pulls his head down until she can whisper menacingly in his ear.

'Only next time it will be to kick your sorry ass.'

She releases him and smooths her hands down his chest. She acts casual, but he can tell that her declaration is all bravado, that she would be deeply hurt if he were to walk away now, and he can't bear the idea of hurting Sakura.

'I want this,' he says with a soft smile. 'I want you.'

Sakura grins and he swears his heart skips a beat as he swoops down and kisses her, his tongue lazily stroking hers. She shivers underneath him and there is a predatory gleam in his eye as he sits up.

Kakashi pulls her into a sitting position as well, and one of his arms slips around her waist to hold her up. The other hand moves to the front of her shirt as he begins to kiss and nip at the delicate skin of her throat.

He wants to prove to her that he is telling the truth, that he wants this, wants her, desperately. Love was not something he had ever seriously considered before, not romantic love anyway. He had long since determined that it was very unlikely to ever happen to him, and he had told himself that he didn't want it. But fuck if he didn't want it with every ounce of his being.

I will fight for you, he says with his mouth on hers, his tongue sweeping hers languidly.

I will cherish you, he says with his hands, softly stroking along her sides and then grasping her hips with bruising force, pulling her against him.

I will love you, he says with his eyes, as he watches her arch and moan above him, utterly beautiful in all her naked glory.

Kakashi closes his eyes and loses himself to the feeling of her, to the smell and taste and sounds of her. She collapses on top of him, and their kisses are soft and slow, full of promise.

Sakura smiles at him and his heart is full of love that it aches in his chest.

'Stay,' she whispers, her lips caressing his neck.

He follows orders. He gives in.


End file.
